What to do with all these apples?

[yannie]

So, I have a grocery bag full of relatively tart, green apples. This is my second bag from my (overly) generous apple connection. I made two cakes, a pie, and some juice with the last bag, and I don't have a food mill, so I think applesauce and butter are out. I'd love some new ideas & recipes. Thanks!

[foxy fairy]

I like savory interpretations for apples. :) I try to be creative with fall/winter fruits, because I don't usually relish them on their own, but I quite enjoy them paired with cheeses, cold cuts, bacon*, bread.

Apples are excellent sliced very thinly in a sandwich, maybe with a turkey/bacon club for some tang. For a veggie wrap with hommus, apples could be a secret star ingredient too. How about a BLT with very very thin slices of apple?

I love making butternut squash soups with apple, like this one:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

Chicken salad with apples is great in the fall. Actually, apples could complement any kind of salad -- especially one with butter lettuce, toasted nuts and crumbled cheese, maybe gorgonzola. Apple cider vinaigrette or creamy blue cheese dressing.

Snacks and picnics -- apples and cheeses (Brie, cheddar, etc) and baguettes!

Braised cabbage -- cut apples small and sautee with onions, then add some broth, a few Tbsp of cider vinegar and red cabbage, shredded. Braise. Mmmm. Picked up this idea on a recent CH thread.

enjoy!

[coney with everything]

I bought a package of Aidells chicken apple sausage--on the package they suggest slicing the sausage and sauteeing with onion, chopped apple, apple cider and a bit of brown sugar. I tried it and it was reallly good.

[jsaimd]

When we get a ton of apples, I of course put them in breakfast and my boys eat them plain, but I also put them in savory dishes. A favorite is cutting up a some apples, mixing with sausage or mushrooms, carmelized onions, red pepper if you have any, and making a filling for an acorn squash. We just make it with what we have on hand.

I put apples with avocado for a guacamole - it is good. Cook apples with meat garlic and cardamom. Grate with cabbage into a salad. The possibilities are endless on the savory side too!

[chef chicklet]

I forgot, apples and cabbage (sometimes fennel) are all terrific together, also drop in a serrano chili and red onion, black poppyseeds. Lemon juice, and vinegar, olive oil a drop of sugar, A really great salad. The possibilities are endless.

[paprkutr]

I make cobblers all year long. Make apple cranberry cobblers freeze them without baking and then bake when you need it. I give them as gifts all year, but I also have a handy dessert ready. Just pop in the oven and bake for 45 minutes at 350.

[Glencora]

Do you have a recipe? That sounds great. (Assuming I can find cranberries this early in the year.)

[chef chicklet]

Or a conserve with apples, fresh cranberries and grand marnier - terriffic to give out before the holidays so they can actually use it this season!

[paprkutr]

I just peel the apples add some fresh cranberries, I add lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and a little flour and mix it all together, then just add your favorite, cobbler or crisp topping with or without oatmeal or nuts etc. I usually use the small aluminum loaf pans for one or two people, and the larger loaf pan or square pan for more. I freeze them and use all year long. I change the fruit as to what's fresh in season. Always have a great dessert on hand

[Indy 67]

I recommend apple crisp. Totally retro but totally delicious. My recipe is light on the spices since I like to let the taste of the apples dominate. It's also different than many in that it doesn't use oats as an ingredient in the topping.

6 tart apples
1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemons juice
3/4 cup sifted flour
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
additional butter for the casserole
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel, core and slice apples. In a bowl, toss apple slices with 1/2 cup of sugar, the spices and lemon juice.

Lightly butter a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Pour apple mixture into casserole.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and butter, working to a crumbly consistency. Add the nuts and sprinkle the topping over the apples.

Bake 45 minutes until apples are tender and the crust is nicely browned.

[AGM_Cape_Cod]

I make crisp using this recipe as well and it is good for not just apples! I make the topping in the food processor using cold butter. I will make a triple batch of topping and keep it in a bag in the freezer. Then all I have to do is prep the fruit.

[dbug31]

My family favorite apple strudel. You can cheat & use phyllo, but working with real strudel dough is an amazing experience...

[bigjimbray]

Why don`t you can the apples and make apple jelly out of the peelings and apple cores.
it is really easy to do. and apply jelly can be used for so many things. and canned apples sure does tastes good in the winter time.

[chef chicklet]

JBB out of the peelings? Kidding me! My Dad used to do all the canning at our house and but I didn't realize that he made the jelly with the peels.

Yannie - And when the apples were in season, we had scrumptious apple butter, baked apples, dried apples, and apple chutney. Apple sauce, French apple pie (cinnamon crumble top) and apple loaf cake, Baked apple is is a great dessert or side dish/ fill with nuts, dried cherries, golden raisins nuts. All so good in salads, chicken, tuna, or ham salad. Or even a green salad with baby greens and just about any dressing works well.

[chef chicklet]

oh and the one I forgot which is a very favorite, apple clafoutti. So really good and different than pie.

[morebubbles]

Hi cc! Do you have a recipe for apple clafoutti? Sounds interesting.

[chef chicklet]

Hey MB! Sure Let me dig it up for you, everyone loves this recipe!

[morebubbles]

Great! I just noticed there's a plum clofouti thread right now & there's this apple clafouti recipe in the link kindly provided there:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recip...
Is this similar to the one you make? Thanks, cc!!

[chef chicklet]

Well it is similar, this is more eggy, making it like a flan (which I love-love-love!) don't dice the apples, I go more for the pie look. Keeping them in their shape this way, the apples brown so beautiful and makes the dessert to me rustic and appealing. Also, I add Grand Marnier. Here is my version of this warm and delicious dessert. Sometimes I have added cinnamon and either way it works well.

Apple Clafoutis – A Rustic Version
Preheat oven - 375 degrees

3 Cups of Milk
1 1/4 Cups of bakers’ sugar
1 T vanilla or one Vanilla bean split and scraped
2/3 C All Purpose King Arthur Flour- sifted
5 eggs beaten
1 ¼ lbs. Peeled granny smith apples, sliced round ways, toss with lemon juice
Grand Marnier or Apple Jack– to flavor , or I add a touch of cinnamon to it or both.

Confection sugar for top

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees position rack in the middle of the oven
And generously butter a 10 X 2 round layer cake pan
2. In a heavy sauce pan, combine milk & bakers’ sugar, and vanilla bean (if using liquid Vanilla save with the alcohol and add with that. Make sure sugar is dissolved and reduce the heat. Gentle boil, 2 or 3 minutes and remove from the heat, set aside.
3. Measure the flour, and using a sieve sift into a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs into their own bowl, add them to the flour, a little at a time, mix well with a mixer, scrape the sides down, and clean the paddle. Batter should be smooth.
4. Remove the bean from the milk, or now add the Vanilla and or Grand Marnier 1 tsp.
5. Gradually take the milk mix, add it to the bowl with the flour, sugar and egg batter. Beat until completely blended. Mixture will be thin, and now pour into a baking pan/
6. Arrange several layers of apples over the batter – decorative top
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 65 to 75 minutes until it is puffed and firm to the touch.
8. Cool on a rack until lukewarm, about 2 hours, Dust with confectioners sugar .
9. Serve this flan-like dessert in wedges. I have used whipped cream or even warmed a bit of sweetened cream (with sugar and vanilla) and ladled some of the warmed cream in largish shallow bowl, then placed the wedge on top.

Enjoy!

[morebubbles]

Yay!! I love Grand Marnier too, I seem to use it only in cooking.

[chef chicklet]

Now you've done it! I only have 3 apples! I want to make this for tonight's dessert!

[chef chicklet]

oh yes! One night when we went out, not wanting wine, nor a cocktail I drank it over ice. I strongly suggest NEVER do that! After two tiny little cordial glasses I was seeing triple! And I got good and sick too boot!

[Keramel]

This will only help a little, as the recipe only calls for two apples, but it sure is delicious!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[scuzzo]

Grate into pancake batter. My grandpa called them "Apple Farmer Pancakes". Really, really good.

[violabratsche]

Apples chopped into the pancake batter are almost like fritters....just enough batter between the chunks of apple to hold them together....serve with real maple syrup...oh, no...I'll have to make some now!!! (They're REALLY good cold, too)

AnnieG

[scuzzo]

That sounds good too, but for this, I finely grate the apples, and it almost blends into the batter when cooking.

[DanaB]

From the recipes currently posted on Epicurious, it looks like next month's Gourmet has an apple feature. The photo of the "apple beignets" posted in the link below is mouth-watering! I may have to investigate myself this weekend!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenu...

[Glencora]

I've made applesauce and apple butter without a food mill, by just cooking it down a lot. Also, you could try chutney. Apple coffeecake freezes really well, too. I'll be eating it for breakfast months from now.

Did you make juice without a press? If so please tell me how you did it.

[yannie]

I have a juicer. Coffee cake is a good idea, thanks. And for the sauce, do you just mash it up after cooking? Or use a blender?

[laurendlewis]

When I make applesauce, the apples just break down and need little if any mashing... Maybe just for the big chunks. (Although I think chunky applesauce is the way to go - none of that Mott's stuff fit for those without teeth.)

[BigSteve]

Homemade applesauce is always a hot at my house. Although I like a combination of different apples for taste and texture, all one style is fine. Cut into chunks and cook on very low for an hour, stirring occaisionally. The apples should turn into apple sauce by themselves. If the are very hard, like a red delicious, might just let them cook longer. I don't even add anything to the pot, just the moisture from rinsing - but if the apples are really tart, maybe a teaspoon of sugar (yes, very little),

[JazzyB]

I leave my applesauce chunky and add sugar to the pot when cooking, with a bit of cinnamon and sometimes vanilla when they're done. This is wonderful over vanilla ice cream.

[Glencora]

Yes, the others are correct. The apples just break down. I looked for the recipe, but it was in my old, fallen-apart Joy of Cooking. Anyhow, it's very easy.